This invention relates generally to the medical field and more particularly to intravenous (IV) tubes and their use.
The delivery of medicines and fluids to a patient is one of the most critical aspects of intensive medical treatment. This delivery is typically via the use of a intravenous feed line which communicates the therapeutic liquid (whether the liquid is saline water or medicine) from a bottle/bag to a hollow needle via a flexible tubing. The hollow needle is inserted into the patient's vein for the slow application of the therapeutic liquid.
Although the procedure is well established and normally operates without flaw, there are situations which make the monitoring of these fluids and their delivery very difficult.
At least three times a day the nursing staff is relieved by the next shift. Since it is the nursing staff which monitors the IV delivery, each new shift must become familiar with the multitude of patients and the variety of IV drugs being administered.
A floor nurse can have responsibility for up to forty different patients, each of them having anywhere from one to eight different IV drugs being administered. Currently, adhesive tape is added to the IV tube permitting the nurse to write information about the drug and its delivery. This means though that the nurse must adjust the often curled tape so that it can be read.
Additionally, if there is a variety of IV drugs being administered, their respective tubing often becomes entangled and confused. This entanglement may become life threatening if it takes the nurse time to identify which tube connects to which IV bottle.
In an attempt to clear away the confusion, a variety of inventions have been developed which try to keep the tubing orderly. One such approach is described by U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,473, entitled "Plastic Container with Auxiliary Tube Retention Means" issued to Winchell on Jul. 10, 1979. This device wraps the IV tube around the bag/bottle to take up the slack.
Unfortunately, this arrangement does not assist in marking of the IV tube. Further, this arrangement can injure the patient when the patient rolls or moves; the IV tube cannot "give" or expand so the needle is pulled out of the patient.
Other approaches have attempted to secure the IV tube through the use a clamp or support type of mechanism. Examples of these approaches include: U.S. Pat. No. Des. 260,850, entitled Medical Flexible Tube Support" issued to Greenblatt on Sep. 22, 1981; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 243,477, entitled "Intravenous Tube Anchor" issued to Cutruzzula et al. on Feb. 22, 1977; and, U.S. Pat. No. Des 263,624, entitled "Adjustable Medical Tubing Support Frame or Similar Article" issued to Stenzler et al. on Mar. 30, 1982.
In all of these approaches, the tube is secured but the flexablity permitting the patient to roll or move is not present. Furthermore, marking of the tubing is even more difficult since these devices are bulky and complex.
To allow the patient to move, a variety of techniques have secured the IV tube to the patient through the use of a bracelet approach. This approach is exemplified by: U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,933, entitled "Intravenous Device" issued to Speaker on Jun. 12, 1984; U.S. Pat. No. Des 290,041, entitled "Intravenous Tube Holder" issued to Scott on May 26, 1987; and, U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,641, entitled "Catheter Support Device" issued to Jacobs on Aug. 9, 1983.
Although those devices do prevent the hollow IV needle from being pulled from the patient, in use, as the patient rolls, the pull on the tubing causes the IV bottle and support bracket to be pulled over. This is an even more dangerous situation than if the needle had been pulled out.
To address this issue, a variety of devices have been designed to more securely affix the IV bottle. These include: U.S. Pat. No. Des 265,508, entitled "Combined Bottle Neck Clamp and Tube Holder" issued to Rusteberg on Jul. 20, 1982; and U.S. Pat. No. Des 269,121, entitled "Retractable IV Container Holder" issued to Pollard on May 24, 1983.
The basic structure of these patents result in the IV tubing being even less flexible since the tubing is more securely fastened to the IV bottle and support. This only restricts the patients movement more.
It is clear that there does not exist an IV holder which permits movement of the patient without the threat of injury and also allows for easy marking/labeling and organization of single or multiple IV tubes simultaneously.